Circulating Ideas - The Privatization of Everything

In this episode of the show, I chat with Donald Cohen, co-author of The Privatization of Everything: How the Plunder of Public Goods Transformed America and How We Can Fight Back, about how he defines privatization, why public goods are vital to a functioning democracy, public-private partnerships that work, and what individuals can do to fight back against privatization.

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Find out more about the book here, including links to purchase via Bookshop!

Public libraries have been remarkably resistant, though not immune, to the waves of privatization, even as other public things, including things that are arguably more essential and harder to privatize, have been auctioned off.

Publisher’s Weekly calls the book “a persuasive takedown of the idea that the private sector knows best.”

Written by Donald, this is the first article of a feature series for Talking Points Memo on privatization and what it means for us.

Privatization is the process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency, charity or public service from the public sector (the state or government) or common use to the private sector (businesses that operate for a private profit) or to private non-profit organizations.

1991 article from the Harvard Business Review about the privatization debate.

2017 article from The Guardian on the Trump administration’s moves into privatization.

In the Public Interest is a national nonprofit research and policy organization that studies public goods and services. They help community organizations, advocacy groups, public officials, researchers, and the general public understand how the privatization of public goods impacts service quality, democracy, equity, and government budgets. They also advocate for strengthening, adequately funding, and building popular support for public institutions that work for all of us.

“If librarians can’t save the world, no one can.”

A pilot postal banking program has been implemented in a number of U.S. cities. Next, let’s rapidly expand it—and take it nationwide.

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